Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1887-04-07
Sketches of the Early History of Bluehill.
with Notes and Incidents of a Later
Period


Nicholas Holt. usually known a. Dr.
Holt came To- Bluehil from Andoyer
Mass. in MAY. 1879. He was born March
lo, l7lG married first, Hannah Osgood,
May 6. 1888; second. Lois Phelps April
% l75l. Their children were Jcdcdiah
born April, l74o died Sept l74o: Hannah
born NOV. l6 l.4l died Dec. 81 1926 .
Ihcbc born Feb 9. l-52. died Feb ~
1851; Jcdcdiah, born March - 1854 died
Aug : l,j7 Nicholas Jr. born Sept 2$
1856. died March p 1884
Mr.. Holt> name first appears on the
records Of the town March 2 l767 when
he was chosen moderator of the first town
meeting OF the inhabitants and to which
office, and also a. one of the sclectmcn, he
was succc>>ivcly elected for several years
BY the records it appears that he was
quite an influential and noted man, very
active in the general prosperity of the
town and quite liberal towards the support
Of the gospel and for the schools lie
possessed a positive nature, was out
spoken frank and honest. and for his
many good qualities of character he WAS
much respected and he maintained the con
fidcnce of the people to the close of his
life, vet H. several respects lie was quite
a singular man. | well remember Of hay
ing heard my grandfather relate >eyrral
anecdotes respecting him. some of them
rather amusing. few of which ! will TT
peat. In his exterior he was rather rough
and even uncouth He stood over six feet
in height. long limbcd and raw boncd, and
with hs remarkably broad and deep chest.
hi> lung power was so enormous that as
lie called lii dog and with "staboy-
stubol,-srABOY" he would set him on TO
the cattle, 10 drive them out Of his field;
he was often heard across the little bay, Il
mile or more from his house to the OPP
po~ite highlands He was, indeed mar
yelou>ly powerful man. a real Boanerges.
q modern giant.
Mr. Holt when he first came to Bluehill,
stopped for while near the Falls. but
soon moved to the head of the bay and
took up a lot of land at the southern slope
of Bluehill mountain, and began clearing
the land and soon after built house. But
he like the most of other men, all down
the previous generations from Adam to
the present time saw that it was not
good for man 60 be alone" and soon began
paving particular attention TO a young
woman of a neighboring family-it was
called sparkling" in those days. but in
these days. going with her" He felt that
he needed a companion, help-meet,
wife who would share with him, not only
in his joys. but also in all the trials and
troubles that might happen to him i'll life's
journey.
One evening while visiting her, he, be-
ing unusually tired by the labors of the
day in .heaping up" the logs and stumps
for "a burn, in order to clear the land for
plowing, happened, with the girl in his
lap, to fall asleep. To this she took ex-
ceptions and felt rather indignant that he
should seem to take so little interest i'll
her and to retaliate the apparent slight,
she cautiously arose from his lap, took the
old fashioned up and down churn, placed
it in his lap, and after having carefully
folded his arms around t.she retired to her
bed. His feelings when he awoke are
more easily imagined than described. But
on his way homeward he resolved on play
ing as good a joke on her, or on paying
her in her own coin. Soon after he pro-
cured horse, saddle and bride and called
on her and pleasantly invited her to take a
orse-back ride with him-as there were
no carriages or roads even for them in
those davs-and to which she at once
gladly consented. SO when they were,
from stump or large log, safely mounted,
they started on their ride, or rather walk,
as it was out of the question to even at
tempt to trot a horse in those narrow and
uneven foot-paths. As they passed along
pleasantly chatting together, as if nothing
had happened TO mar his peace of mind or
TO disturb his pleasant dreams, he noticed
little way ahead-what he was on the
lookout fora large stump by the side Of
the path He rode up to the side OF it and
remarked Il think there is some trouble
about the saddle-girt and you will please
step off ON to that stump till see what
the matter is When she was safely on
the stump, he, with flourish OF his arms,
-. ho-eo ov,d avcloimad stYOU,